Objection: The Apostles Never Said, “By His Stripes You Were Healed” When They Preached Christ

Even if those weren’t their exact words, they certainly preached divine healing.

Paul said that our bodies as well as our spirits were purchased and are God’s property (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  This is the same Paul who healed all the sick on the island of Melita (Acts 28:8-9).  This is the same Paul who preached at Lystra, and as he did, a man crippled from birth got faith to be healed (Acts 14:7-10).  We know that faith for something specific comes from hearing the Word, so Paul must have preached healing.  This is the same Paul who said that the Holy Spirit imparts life to our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11).  This is the same Paul from whose body cloth items were taken and people were healed and demons came out of people (Acts 19:11-12).  This is Paul who wrote to the Galatians that God did miracles in their midst through “the hearing of faith” (Galatians 3:5-6).

Peter DID say, “by whose stripes you were healed” in one of his letters (1 Peter 2:24) – that should count!  This is the same Peter whose shadow brought healing to people on the streets in Jerusalem (Acts 5:12-16), who believed that he “had” something (authority) when he told the beggar, “such as I have I give you” (Acts 3:1-16).  That should certainly qualify as preaching divine healing!

The apostles quoted Isaiah’s prophecy that indicated that if people would turn their eyes and ears to the Lord, He would heal them.

Certainly, the MOST important thing that Jesus did for us was save us from our sins.  The apostles certainly stressed forgiveness of sins more than anything else, as should we.  After all, Jesus commanded that repentance and forgiveness of sins be preached everywhere, starting at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47).  The sinner’s biggest need is not physical healing but a new birth that will get his name written into the Lamb’s Book of Life.

However, it is ALSO the Lord’s desire that we preach the Word with signs following it to confirm it.  When the apostles preached, signs followed (Mark 16:20).  Jesus said that “those who believe” will lay hands on the sick and they will recover (Mark 16:18).  ALL believers should take God up on His promise!